Pantheon of the Realm - "Taglur"
Long centuries of aimless wandering have taken their toll - by the time of the Planetfall, no one but the most devote peoples of old had any faith left or even remembered whatever old deites they used to worship before the cosmic journey. But a hallowed place is never barren and soon the people of the newfound Realm started to worship new gods. Nomads and barbarians of Thessean steppes called them "Taglur" ("roundelay" in Dil-speech). 12 entities holding each others hands, dancing in circle around a crude, stone idol, as they are usually depicted. The origins of these deities is questionable, its vision depending on the exact theological model one is following: The classical theology proclaims that the Taglur were responsible for the beginning of the material world. Originally, there was nothing but an endless void and an abyssal bedrock at its bottom, with ancient beings of pure thought floating through it. After millennia of aimless wandering, the oldest of these beings has developed a Will, as it took curiosity in whatever lied at the bottom of the dark abyss. This Will gave it conscience and thus there was Galador. Galador found the existence as it was pointless and his mind burst with new, untold ideas, creating the first pattern for the world to come. The pure joy of creation and conscious thought spilled over from Galador and ignited the sparks of more ancient beings - Leandra, Heide and Deirdre. Joyful for feeling alive and curious for the first time in their infinite existence, the mother-goddesses endeavoured to forge the world that Galador imagined Heide sent raging fires and torrents of glacial water to break down and cleanse the corrupted bedrock at the void's bottom. . Galador's vision was to become the first pattern of the Realm. But no Will exists in a vaccuum - for it needs Power to manifest. As realisation dawned on Galador, the next shard emerged - soon to become Leandra, and her raw life force powered the creation. Yet for the creation to occur, the material has to be presented to a demiurge - Matter. Chaotic, malleable, ever-changing Heide birthed the Matter of the Realm, and thus creation began in full. Yet after it was done, the three firstborn saw that the world that laid afore them was empty, barren and devoid of life, as it lacked Soul. Using the last of their strength, the three called forth the fourth shard - Deirdre. And she was given full reign and dominion over the joyless Realm and she poured her own blood and soul into it, giving life and future to all things she touched - and creating the remaining gods of the Taglur and the first living beings in process. were they created by the Horizon's inhabitant's collective thought? Are they merely aspects of some greater, extraplanar entity? Are they the captains of the original 12 spelljammers, who have achieven godhood?. The gods of Horizon are forever locked in a weird, purposeless dance, rarely interfering with the lives of mortals (with a few notable exceptions) Aspects: deities of Talgur are curious, inexplicable entities and are often capable of assuming different forms with different goals and personalities called Aspects. Aspects are technically speaking small gods or saints, covering a specific portion of Talgur deity's portfolio - even if the god himself rarely/tangentially represents it. It is possible, for example, to worship Heide as goddess of lust and sex, Payton - as a righteous, unforgiving crusader and Deirdre - like Shabnak-Adyr - the skin-flaying bone and clay demon. A good portion of Aspects are considered heretical and are persecuted by their parent churches. Galador, the Helmsman: god of Sea, Invention, Hope and Ambition Holy symbol: golden compass Worshippers: sailors, scholars, reformers, engineers Portrayal: a young, deaf sailor in sky-blue robes Afterlife: Notes: widely worshipped and often considered to be the "chief" god of the Talgur, but has no organised church. Galador's clerics are free to guide their flock as they see would reflect his ideals the most. - Deirdre, the Sky Strider: goddess of Plains,Travellers, Sky, Sacrifice and Hospitality Holy symbol: bull's skull with a semi-circular mark on its forehead Worshippers: steppe folk, nomads, pathfinders, shamans, travellers Portrayal: a naked, scarred steppewoman with a reversed bull's skull mask Afterlife: Notes: has a lot of small temples scattered across the Realm, especially in Thessea. These temples don't have permanent priests - each visiting cleric of Deirdre must perform his duties there until he is relieved of them by another cleric, Worship of Deirdre is central to the enigmatic culture of the Great Steppe's steppenvolk - although their shamans' ways of interpreting her teaching are much more dark, visceral and druidic in nature - often involving blood and human sacrifice. Among such followers a practice of haruspicy is particularly common. - Axxerarat, the Dead: god of Corruption, Dark magic, Misfortune and Poison Holy symbol: a black gemstone with an engraved grinning skull Worshippers: necromancers, assassins, intelligent undead and aberrations Portrayal: a jeweled crystal skull or a skeleton, dressed in sultan's attire Afterlife: Notes: worship of Axxerarat is prohibited in Borealis (like it ever stopped someone) but is fairly common among spellcasters, some evil tribes in Faraam and some isolated islands. The leitmotif of most of his doctrines is perversion and corruption of whatever the Dead touches. He twists the work of Leandra and fates, patronising the undead and those who create them. He takes arcane secrets and scientific discoveries and finds them cruel, unnatural uses. The very process of taking something wholesome and fundamentally altering its nature is important - Nasreddin, the Desert Stream: god of Freedom, Literature, Trade and Trickery; patron god of Faraam Holy symbol: a silver talisman shaped like a shisha Worshippers: revolutionaries, Faraamese folk, bards, merchants, writers, rogues Portrayal: a smiling bearded fat man, riding a donkey Afterlife: Notes: worshipped almost exclusively in Faraam, especially by the poor. A lot of fae spirits cover his portfolio in Thessea, though they are often said to serve as Nasreddin's aspects - Hemathos, the Conqueror: god of Conquest, Zeal, Revenge and War; patron god of High Elves Holy symbol: a blacksteel halberd Worshippers: high elves, soldiers, barbarians, mercenaries, avengers Portrayal: a knight in grey full-body armour, wielding a halberd Afterlife: Notes: an elven deity first and foremost, rarely worshipped outside of Eldar Shores or tribal islands. - Somn, the Dreamweaver: god of Good Dreams, Childhood, Medicine and Imagination; patron god of children Holy symbol: a jumble of coloured thread, trinkets and talismans Worshippers: fey, doctors, children, good wizards Portrayal: a disgusting, malformed winged and horned aberration, wearing a white bird mask Afterlife: Notes: while Somn is a less powerful deity than Galador or Payton, his worship is very widespread and rare clerics - held in high esteem. He is married to the Fair Queen of Fey. - Deleritas, the Snail: god of Secrets, Knowledge, Artisans and Caverns; patron god of Dwarves Holy symbol: a lantern Worshippers: dwarves, artisans, underground dwellers, archivists and investigators Portrayal: a black-skinned horned dwarf, carrying a snail's shell on his back Afterlife: Notes: a widespread superstition among students and scholars is that if you wake up in your sleep and hear scratching or dragging noises somewhere around, you should not go investigate it and instead leave some food and lamp oil next to your cellar or house entrance - in case Deleritas is digging his endless tunnel through the flesh of the Realm under your room. Some even say that the next day supplies so left disappear, and their minds start racing for ideas and concepts previously unthought of. - Rhorrt, the Earth-Warden: god of Restoration, Wilderness, Cliffs and Peace Holy symbol: a moss-covered pebble Worshippers: frontier dwellers, rangers, explorers, diplomats, wood elves Portrayal: a massive, three-eyed moss-covered stone giant Afterlife: Notes: has grand stone temples dedicated to him, mostly built in the wilderness. - Payton, the Flame-bearer: god of Righteous war, Generosity, Nobility and Chivalry; patron god of snakes Holy symbol: a snake, coiled around a torch Worshippers: leaders, nobles, duellists, knights, snakes Portrayal: a cavalier in a snake-scaled armour Afterlife: Notes: the Cult of the Flame-bearer is one of the most influential and militaristic churches in the Realm, depite having the smallest following among the good deities of Talgur. It sees protection of the Realm and its people as its mission and takes a proactive approach to it - offence, after all, is the best defence. Payton is a righteous, good and noble deity but by no means is he kind or forgiving, sometimes even coming off as arrogant - it is a common trait of his powerful servants to be condescending and patronising towards the weak, whom they are obliged to protect. But to be fair, Payton expects a lot from everyone and not only aren't his servants an exception - he demands even more of them. Only powerful individuals who have proven their worth to Payton or his clergy and received their personal approval and blessing - often after a harsh trial or a heroic accomplishment - are allowed to join the Cult; even then, Payton only accepts those who are willing to bear arms, kill and die to protect the world's order, their faith and those weaker than them - paladins, warpriests and, rarely, militaristic clerics. The Cult considers inquisitorial practices to be unworthy of its noble calling. The Cult's role is especially important when a war occurs between nations and countries - Payton's emissaries serve as mediators and observants of armed conflicts, making sure that prisoners are treated fairly and no atrocities are commited. Finally, it should be mentioned that snakes (which are all, without exceptions, intelligent beings on Horizon) are considered to be the symbol and holy patrons of the Cult (according to the ancient legends, it was Payton who has given them a spark of reason and gift of fire) and lend their colour - dark green - to banners and vestments of the Cult. - Leandra, the Twin Queen: goddess of Death and Magic Holy symbol: a necklace made of copper or silver coins Worshippers: undead hunters, caretakers, magi, a lot of monks Portrayal: a pale woman in black dress, wielding a spear. Half of her face is covered in blue tatoos. Afterlife: Notes: Leandra is probably the only deity on the Horizon who's worshipped a lot in two of her aspects: either as a goddess of death, or a goddess of magic. Her followers believe in the Cycle of life and death - a natural progression, a road that everyone should eventually walk. While they do not seek death on purpose - neither do they resist it when it comes. A consequence of these beliefs is that the temple of Leandra will never fight for those whom they deem destined to die soon - i.e. terminally ill or wounded, extremely elderly etc., although they will ease their suffering as much as they can and arrange their passing and funeral with dignity and respect. One thing that Leandra and her servants truly despise is the Undeath - and the one god who usually encourages and assists such existence. The Undeath perverts the cycle of Life and Death, moreover, it often does so with Leandra's own instrument - magic. Leandra's Undead Hunters - the Benefactors - are ever vigilant for the Undead and necromancers who dare create it. Leandra's ordained servants are easy to distinguish among common folks - they have very peculiar blue tattoos covering a side of their body: left - for servants of Leandra the Witch, and right - for servants of Leandra the Whisperer. Peculiarly, isolated drow and beast-folk communities on the newly discovered continent and Maladar Beastlands of Faraam sometimes form cults of an entity referred to as the Third Queen, who governs fate. Theologians of Faraam and Borealis consider her, until proven otherwise, to be an aspect of Leandra. - Saad Ishtar, the Great Wyrm: god of Greed, Tyranny, Ruin and Power; patron god of dragons Holy symbol: a dragon scale Worshippers: aspiring tyrants, dragons, schemers and corrupt officials Portrayal: an impossibly old bearded man, sitting on a stone throne at the highest peak of Moradin's Crown Afterlife: Notes: he actually sits there sometimes. Any mortal may come up and talk with the god, asking for his favour. The Great Wyrm always upholds his part of the bargain, but remember this - he is the greatest of the dragons and just like they hoard treasure and magic, he hoards human destinies and broken hope. - Heide, the Perfect Storm: goddess of Passion, Elements, Fortune and Love Holy symbol: a malformed piece of glass Worshippers: lovers, elementalists, navigators, gamblers, bards, clinically insane Portrayal: Heide never appears in the same form twice Notes: a hysterical, unreliable and whimsical goddess. She has once prohibited her priests from using buildings as their temples, forcing the entire organised cult to be vagrant. Other deities: there are a lot of other smaller gods which are not parts of Talgur but are nevertheless worshipped by some inhabitants of the Horizon, though purists argue that they are merely some Talgur god's aspect. Evil people often worship lords of the Abyss, like Lolth or Pazuzu, or devils like Dis or Mephistopheles who are, as evil usually is, ever present and waiting; even the tough planar shell of the Horizon is not enough to stop their respective blood lust and ambition. Even the unspeakable, terrifying Old Ones are worshipped secretly in the dark corners of the Realm. Some of the more interesting and popular godlike entities in the Realm include: - Guinevere, the Fair Queen of Fey - lesser deity of lakes, forests, whimsy and deception; supreme ruler of Fey Holy symbol: a silver mirror Worshippers: fey, gnomes, poets, bards Portrayal: an incredibly beautiful pale woman wearing a silver crown Afterlife: Notes: Saying that people "worship" the Fair Queen is, perhaps, unfair in itself - she doesn't consider herself to be a goddess. And why would she need that? Being a god is so much trouble - all those followers, worshipers, expectations, conflicts...Guinevere is an absolute ruler of all fey of the Realm (as well as some giant tribes), nothing more and nothing less. While every other god has a somn of legend associated with it - about its origins, exploits, failures - the Fair Queen's origins are shrouded in as much fog as is her Ivory Tower, standing in the middle of the deepest lake of the Realm. Old gods vanished, the Talgur emerged, but Guinevere and her Fair Folk were always there, as faint laughter in the forest shade, as an unclear figure in the corner of one's eye. The Fair Queen is not worshipped - she is revered and obeyed; she has no worshippers - only subjects, to whom she is always kind and gentle. As for the others...they must be really careful when venturing into the Realm's widerness and old ruins...or leave their children unattended...or carelessly go investigate weird noises in the cellar. The truth is - no one is ever truly safe from the Fair Folk's tricks and pranks and their sense of humour is often very different from ours in a very cruel and sometimes fatal way. Of course, whoever feels like disrupting their "harmless" fun will feel the full spectrum of their Queen's displeasure...or won't, if it is her whimsy. Guinevere doesn't have a proper, official cult - however she is revered by tricksters, dreamers and artists, whom she especially adores and patronises. Druids also respect her, fully understanding the consequences of falling out of the Fair Queen's grace. - Saint Rex Verstandt, the Vigil – lesser deity of knowledge, discipline and culture; patron god of Northern Thessea Holy symbol: Worshippers: scholars, builders, Transboreans and free people of the Far Reach List of deities of Taglur Galador the Helmsman (Order, Hope, Guidance, Sea) Extra: no set dogma, everyone is open to seek their own interpretation Deirdre the Sky Strider (Open sky, Hospitality, Sacrifice, Fertility) Extra: temples manned by priests which only "rotate" when another deirdrete visits the temple and thus becomes its keeper Axxerarat the Un-dead (Corruption, Rebellion, Deception, Poison) - Trickster Nasreddin the Desert Stream (Arts, Freedom, Trickery, Commerce) - Wise Old Man Extra: know as Eid, Concord watcher in Thessea Hemathos the Iron Vanguard (Vengeance, War, Strength, Metal) Extra: patron of elves Somn the Dreamweaver (Childhood, Good dreams, Medicine, Curiosity) Deleritas the Snail (Secrets, Caverns, Knowledge, Artisans) - Scholar Payton the Flame-bearer (Chivalry, Righteous War, Justice, Illumination) Extra: patron of snakes Leandra the Twin Queen (Cycles, Life, Death, Magic) Sa'ad Ishtar the Great Wyrm (Authority, Greed, Ambition, Dragons) Extra: the only god that mortals are able to meet in the physical realm to ask for favours Heide the Perfect Storm (Elements, Passion, Fortune, Chaos) Navka the Sun Child (Light, Nature, Life) Lesser deities that don't belong to Taglur Gwynevere the Fair Queen of Fey (Freshwater, Forests, Mischief, Fey) Rex Verstandt the Old King (History, ?) Category:Religion